Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Hazy clouds diluted the sunlight as Lily lifted the tables and chairs outside to set up the shop. She should probably go for a run, but was lacking motivation. Besides, her injuries from the previous day were a good enough excuse to avoid physical activity for the day.
She’d expected to wake stiff and sore, but it wasn’t as bad as she anticipated. Long trousers and a shirt covered most of it, and the few scratches along her jaw and neck weren’t as dramatic once she’d cleaned them.
When Kit waved at her from the end of the promenade, she set off wandering in his direction. She only spotted Seren when she got close, tucked away on a bench seat of the little electric tourist train.
“Morning!” Kit called, pausing in wiping down the train, which already looked polished to a shine.
“Hi,” Lily replied with significantly less enthusiasm.
“Are you okay?” Seren asked. “What happened to your face?”
“I had a little run in with a tree.”
Kit gave a speedy shake of his head. “You did what?”
“Never mind,” Lily said with a flick of her hand. “It’s fine.”
Seren and Kit exchanged a look.
“Is everything okay with you?” Seren asked.
“Yeah,” she replied automatically, though that was pretty far from the truth. Since the police hadn’t found the stolen goods at Gideon’s place, she had the feeling she’d never see her backpack or its contents again.
All she could hope for now was that whoever took it had thrown the passports away without paying them any attention. She’d have to apply for a new passport, but that wasn’t a huge deal.
“You look stressed,” Kit said. “Is this to do with a certain police officer and his imminent departure?”
She sighed. At least the lost backpack had taken her mind off that issue. “Let’s not talk about that.”
“He’ll be back to visit.” Kit slung an arm around her shoulder and gave her a side hug, which aggravated her wounds and made her wince slightly. “And we’ll be here to look after you.”
“Kit!” Seren hissed from her seat on the train. “She said she doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Sorry,” he muttered, drawing away.
Seren slipped out of her seat to stand beside Lily. “I’ve heard rumours about your recent investigations.”
She supposed that shouldn’t be a surprise. Not much went unnoticed on St Mary’s. “Unsuccessful investigations,” Lily clarified. “I can’t figure it out. I guess whoever was stealing stuff is going to get away with it.”
“You’ve been keeping Len Marrack entertained anyway,” Seren said. “He was in the pub last night, full of stories about how he’s been helping you investigate.”
Lily grimaced. “What was he saying?”
“Just that he’d been brainstorming with you about who it could be.”
A low groan escaped Kit as he rolled his eyes.
“Be quiet!” Seren admonished.
“I didn’t say anything!” he shot back, leaning casually against the train.
“No, but I could hear your thoughts loud and clear.”
“And I’m not allowed freedom of thoughts any more?” He spluttered a laugh. “Sometimes I wonder about this whole being in a relationship thing.”
“What are you two talking about?” Lily asked.
“Nothing,” Seren said. “Ignore him.”
“Since most people can’t actually read my mind, she doesn’t know what she’s ignoring.”
“Lucky her,” Seren said, wrinkling her nose and exchanging a teasing look with Kit.
“You’re being weird,” Lily said, pushing her hair behind her ear.
“I don’t like Len,” Kit said out of the side of his mouth. “But apparently that’s an unacceptable opinion, so I’m supposed to keep quiet.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Seren said. “Everyone likes Len. He’s like an older version of you.”
“Great. I’m gonna grow up to be a pervert, am I?”
“Shut up!” Seren laughed. “He’s not a pervert. He wasn’t even looking at me.”
Kit’s twinkling eyes darted to Lily. “I came home one day to find Len staring in our kitchen window…”
“He was washing the windows,” Seren said. “Because he’s a window cleaner. That’s his job.”
“But he wasn’t,” Kit insisted. “He was just standing with his squeegee in his hand, peering in at you. I watched him for ages, and he just stared through the window like a creep.”
“He was probably lost in a trance or something,” Seren said. “There’s no way he was perving on me.” Her eyes flicked to Lily. “Kit told Len he thought window cleaning was a job he’d like to do for himself in the future. So if you ever wonder why our windows are filthy, now you know.”
“Hey! I clean them.” Kit grinned. “It’s just a very tedious job.”
“That’s why most people pay someone to do it.”
“Maybe I just don’t like window cleaners in general,” Kit said. “It’s weird having someone looking into your house. And I don’t like the way he just shows up whenever he feels like it. He should tell us when he’s coming so I’m not wandering the house naked or something.”
“I’ll bet he sees all sorts,” Seren said. “He’s discreet, though. I suppose you have to be. If he went around telling stories, no one would employ him.”
Lily’s heart rate had steadily increased, and she had a heavy feeling in her stomach.
“You don’t like him?” she asked Kit.
He shrugged. “I get dodgy vibes from him.”
“Only because he has an overprotective streak,” Seren put in. “If Kit thinks anyone looks at me funny, he takes issue with them.”
“That’s not true. Who else do I have a problem with?”
Seren opened her mouth, then closed it again with a hint of a pout.
“I don’t like him,” Kit said bluntly. “I’m allowed to not like people.”
“But you like everyone.” Lily dragged in a breath through her nose. “Seren once said if you don’t like someone, it’s a very bad sign…”
“Len’s harmless,” Seren said with slightly less conviction. “I really don’t think he was looking at me.”
“I don’t think he was either,” Lily mused.
“What?” Seren said.
Lily’s gaze was fixed on the horizon. “I think he was sizing the place up.” She swallowed hard. “I think he was figuring out what was worth stealing, and when would be the best time to slip inside and take whatever he had his eye on.”
“Len?” Seren said. “No way.”
“Oh, my god.” A wave of nausea swept through Lily as she felt absolutely certain she’d been right about Len at the start. “He’s played me like an absolute fiddle.”
“What are you talking about?” Kit asked.
“I have to go,” Lily said, then set off at a run.